Artistic B&W Photos Reveal the Hidden Beauty of What Lies Under the Sea

Mexican social anthropologist and photographer Anuar Patjane Floriuk shares his unique perspective of the seas with his stunning series Underwater Realm. Shot in black and white, his photos expose the beauty that resides underwater. Through these photographs, he hopes that people will gain a greater appreciation for marine life.

As an avid diver, Patjane Floriuk has developed a love for the underwater world. Over time, his concern for that world has heightened. “It grows on you, the longer you dive the more you care; and this happens to every person that has been diving for many years,” he tells My Modern Met. “It is inevitable—the life underwater is so intense and energetic that it eventually gets you, grabs you, and won’t ever let you go.”

Patjane Floriuk began Underwater Realm in 2012 after observing the deterioration of diving spots around the world, and it’s a series he plans to continue as long as he can dive and explore life underwater. The images are incredible for their demonstration of how man and marine life interact, as well as the natural beauty of the surroundings. Fish form nebulous clouds that appear like contemporary sculpture, while reflections transform a shark into a living light projection.

Through his work, Patjane Floriuk hopes to inspire change and encourage others to be more mindful of how their actions can impact the ocean. “The ocean is usually presented as an aggressive and unpredictable place, either in movies, books, and even classical paintings, so there is a mostly negative historical construction in our minds of it. If us that know that there is another side of the story happening in the ocean—a peaceful one full of beauty—maybe that can make people wonder and care a little more about the species that inhabit it, and by doing so, begin to take rational actions to counteract our impact, specially in the way we consume plastics and generate CO2 If we don’t share it, who will?”

Anuar Patjane Floriuk is a photographer and avid diver whose black and white underwater photography reveals the beauty of marine life.